Harira

About This Dish

Morocco's most iconic soup and the dish that breaks the fast every evening during Ramadan. Harira is a thick, hearty tomato-based soup packed with lentils, chickpeas, and small pieces of meat, enriched with fresh herbs and thickened with a flour-and-water slurry called tadouira. The soup is deeply nourishing and warming, making it the perfect way to end a day of fasting. Every family has their own recipe, and the smell of harira simmering is synonymous with Moroccan evenings during the holy month. Outside Ramadan, it is enjoyed year-round as a starter or light meal.

Ingredients

• 250 g Lamb or beef, diced small
• 1 cup Brown lentils
• 1/2 cup Chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 6 Ripe tomatoes, grated or pureed
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 large Onion, finely chopped
• 3 Celery stalks with leaves, chopped
• 1 large bunch Fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 large bunch Fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp Ground ginger
• 1 tsp Ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp Ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp Saffron threads
• 3 tbsp Flour
• 50 g Vermicelli or angel hair pasta, broken
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• to taste Salt
• 10 cups Water

Instructions

1. 1

   In a large pot, sauté meat, onion, and celery in olive oil and butter for 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Add ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, pepper, and saffron. Stir for 1 minute.

3. 3

   Add grated tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring.

4. 4

   Add lentils, chickpeas, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

5. 5

   Add half the cilantro and parsley. Simmer for 45 minutes until lentils and chickpeas are tender.

6. 6

   Mix flour with 1/2 cup cold water until smooth (this is the tadouira). Slowly stir into the soup.

7. 7

   Add broken vermicelli. Cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.

8. 8

   Add remaining fresh herbs and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning.

9. 9

   Serve hot with dates, chebakia, and hard-boiled eggs (traditional Ramadan accompaniments).

Tips & Tricks

• The tadouira (flour slurry) must be added slowly while stirring to prevent lumps.
• Harira thickens as it sits. Add hot water when reheating to reach desired consistency.
• Fresh tomatoes give better flavor than canned for this soup.
• Some families add rice instead of vermicelli — both are traditional.